At Hutchins BBQ in Frisco, Texas, the smoke doesn’t just signal a meal; it tells a story generations in the making. Today, 28-year-old Nick Hutchins is at the helm of the Frisco location, carrying forward a legacy started by his grandfather, Roy Hutchins, who opened the family’s first smokehouse in 1978. The legacy was carried on by Nick’s uncle, Tim Hutchins, and his father, Tracy Hutchins. Nick grew up surrounded by barbecue, but it wasn’t until his teenage years that he realized just how special it was.
“Barbecue wasn’t really cool when I was younger,” he says. “It was just something my family did.” That changed in 2013, when Hutchins BBQ landed on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 list. “Suddenly, having Hutchins as my last name started to mean something.” In the world of barbecue, it means everything.
Today, Hutchins BBQ spans two bustling locations — McKinney and Frisco — with no plans to franchise. The plan is to make the best Texas barbecue. But that’s always been the plan.
Before Nick stepped into his role at Hutchins BBQ, his uncle, Tim Hutchins, had already helped guide the family business through a key turning point. For Tim, who took over the business in 2002, at just 22, the evolution of Hutchins BBQ has been personal. “It was sink or swim,” he says. “Back then, Hutchins BBQ was not what it is today.”…